Practice Areas
Industries
Education
- Capital University Law School, J.D., 1998, summa cum laude
Capital University Law Review, 1996-1997 - The Ohio State University, M.S., 1989
- University of Cincinnati, B.S., 1984, magna cum laude
Bar & Court Admissions
Allen is a partner in the Columbus office practicing in construction law, architect/engineer professional liability, commercial litigation, and products liability. He also leads the firm’s drone and autonomous vehicle working group.
Allen is a professional engineer and former research project manager and draws upon that training and experience in managing commercial disputes and counseling companies in matters involving scientific or technical substance. He also counsels companies and individuals facing investigations and ethics charges by State licensing boards such as the Ohio Engineers and Surveyors Board.
Allen has broad experience in construction claims and dispute resolution, including AAA arbitrations and mediations; American Institute of Architects (AIA), Engineers Joint Contract Documents Committee (EJCDC), and Design Build Institute of America (DBIA) contract documents; and fire cause and origin (C&O) claims, including managing the work of experts.
Career highlights include:
- Appearing before the Ohio Supreme Court and numerous lower appellate courts.
- Operating as national coordinating counsel of construction claims for firm clients, including manufacturers and retail chains
- Obtaining dismissal of ethics charges against an engineering company and its principal after an administrative hearing
- Defending and prosecuting construction disputes involving infrastructure projects (roads, bridges, railroads, water, waste water, oil and gas pipelines, fiber optics) and commercial buildings (schools, hospitals, hotels and industrial facilities)
- Defending products liability actions involving fires and explosions in electrical and mechanical equipment, furnaces and silos
- Inventing U.S. Patent Nos. 5,941,230 (principal) and 6,112,741
Allen is a frequent lecturer on engineering ethics, construction law, and architect/engineer liability, and was an Adjunct Professor at Capital University Law School where he team-taught products liability with Professor Stanton G. Darling II.
Allen received his J.D. summa cum laude from Capital University Law School where he was a member of the Order of the Curia, the Order of the Barrister, the National Moot Court team, and the Capital University Law Review. He received his M.S. from The Ohio State University, publishing his thesis on applying artificial intelligence methods to energy conservation. He received his B.S. magna cum laude from the University of Cincinnati where he was Tau Beta Pi and Pi Tau Sigma.
Allen externed for the Honorable Alan E. Norris, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
Prior to joining Vorys, Allen managed engineering research projects for the natural gas distribution and end use industries, including program design, relationship management, supervision of staff and subcontractors, and interactions with government and regulatory bodies including Consumer Product Safety Commission. He has authored numerous technical publications related to energy conservation, gas appliance venting, and test procedures, and has contributed to the ASHRAE HVAC Systems and Equipment Handbook and NFPA 54 National Fuel Gas Code Handbook.
Professional and Community Activities
- Ohio State Bar Association, Construction Law Committee, Chair, 2014-2016
- American Bar Association, Forum on the Construction Industry, Construction Litigation Committee
- Columbus Bar Association, Construction Law Committee, Common Pleas Court Committee
- Builder’s Exchange of Central Ohio, Law and Finance Group
- Capital University Law School Board of Counselors, Past Chairs Counsel
- Heritage Rail Trail Coalition, Chair
Honors & Awards
- The Best Lawyers in America, Construction Law, 2013-2022
- Columbus CEO, Top Lawyers in Columbus, 2010-2021
- American College of Trial Lawyers Medal for Excellence in Advocacy, 1997
- Martindale-Hubbell AV Peer Review Rated
News
- 8/19/2021One hundred and sixteen lawyers from Vorys were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America® 2022 edition. In addition, 34 Vorys attorneys were named to the 2022 Best Lawyers in America “Ones to Watch” list.
- 8/20/2020One hundred and twelve lawyers from Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America® 2021 edition. In addition, 26 Vorys attorneys were named to the inaugural Best Lawyers in America “Ones to Watch” list.
- 8/15/2019One hundred and thirteen lawyers from Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2020.
- 8/15/2018One hundred and thirteen lawyers from Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2019.
- 8/17/2017One hundred and eight lawyers from Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2018.
- 3/28/2017This year, 54 Vorys attorneys were listed in the 2017 Columbus CEO “Top Lawyers” List.
- 8/15/2016One-hundred and eleven lawyers from Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2017.
- 8/17/2015One-hundred and eighteen lawyers from Vorys were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2016.
- 8/18/2014One-hundred and ten lawyers from Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2015.
- 8/14/2013One hundred and eleven lawyers from Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2014.
- 8/23/2012One hundred and twenty-six lawyers from Vorys were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2013.
- 11/25/2011
Events
- 10/27/2021Vorys attorneys Allen Rutz and Gretchen Rutz spoke at the 2021 Ohio Transportation Engineering Conference (OTEC) regarding expectations of privacy and ethical issues in using email communications.
- 10/29/2020Vorys attorneys Allen Rutz and Gretchen Rutz discussed the ethical duty of engineers to protect sensitive data in the evolving age of privacy and cybersecurity.
- 3/3/2020Vorys Attorneys Eve Stratton, Allen Rutz and Mitch Tobias presented at the Ohio Insurance Institute Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Symposium on March 3, 2020.
- 1/30/2020Vorys Partner Allen Rutz spoke at the Stark County Association for Justice, Advanced Insurance Coverage Seminar on January 30, 2020.
- 11/19/2019Vorys Partner Allen Rutz spoke at the Ohio Concrete Fall Engineering Seminar on November 19, 2019. The title of the presentation was, “What “The Practice of Engineering” Means in 2019.”
- 10/29/2019Vorys Partner Allen Rutz spoke at the Ohio Transportation Engineering Conference (OTEC) on October 29-30, 2019.
- 9/17/2019Vorys Partner Allen Rutz spoke at the Ohio State Bar Association (OSBA) Ohio Insurance and Negligence Law Conference on September 17, 2019.
- 10/3/2018Vorys partner Allen Rutz presented at the Ohio Transportation Engineering Conference on October 3, 2018.
- 4/10/2018On April 10-11, 2018, Vorys attorneys Allen Rutz and Dick Schwartz presented at the Energy & Mineral Law Foundation’s Special Institute on Petrochemicals.
- 10/10/2017Vorys partner Allen Rutz spoke at the 2017 Ohio Transportation Engineering Conference (OTEC) on October 10, 2017. He spoke about the evolution of engineering ethics.
- 4/27/2016Vorys attorneys Colleen Laux, Allen Rutz and Beth Weinewuth were speakers at the All-Ohio Legal Forum hosted by the Ohio State Bar Association on April 27-29, 2016.
- 3/29/2016Vorys Partner Allen Rutz will be a speaker at the Ohio Engineering Law and Ethics Seminar hosted by Half Moon Education on March 29, 2016.
- 11/6/2014Vorys partner Allen Rutz was a speaker at the 2014 Fall CPD Conference hosted by the Ohio Society of Professional Engineers on November 6, 2014.
- 12/11/2013Vorys partner Allen Rutz presented at a CLE Seminar for the Ohio State Bar Association on December 11.
- 9/6/2011
Insights
- 7/21/2021On July 1, 2021, Governor DeWine signed Senate Bill 49 giving lien rights to Ohio architects, landscape architects, professional engineers, and professional surveyors (design professionals) beginning September 30, 2021.
- 3/11/2021On Wednesday, March 10th, the House passed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, the third major federal COVID-19 relief act following the CARES Act and the December 2020 Consolidated Appropriations Act. President Biden is expected to sign it into law Friday.
- 12/27/2020Late on December 27, the President signed a $900 billion relief package that will provide aid to individuals and businesses still struggling with the economic impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Both the House and the Senate passed the proposal last week.
- 4/13/2020With tens of millions of Americans suddenly working from home data privacy issues have taken on new urgency.
- 3/24/2020As part of the government’s response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, state and federal courts around the country are adjusting their operations.
- 3/18/2020In the event of government action due to a declared emergency such as a pandemic, performance under construction contracts may become delayed or impossible.
- 9/26/2019The Ohio Supreme Court recently held that Ohio Revised Code Section 9.75 does not infringe on municipal home-rule authority.
- 8/10/2016Supreme Courts in two more states, Iowa and New Jersey, have recently ruled that CGL insurance provides coverage for damage to the completed project itself caused by defective work of subcontractors.
- 1997